Stuck Like Glue
by clockworksalsa
Summary: A lot of things came easily for Jake. Social skills were not one of these things. And his grandmother had gotten him paired him up with one of the most insufferable, uninterested, and cocky teenagers on the planet. His job? Mentor and tutor the student and make him feel welcome at M. East Houston High. The student? Dirk Strider. Rating may change.
1. Chapter 1

"What do you want me to tell you, Jake? That I'm sorry? That I love you?" The phone trembled in Jake's hand, and he didn't know if it was from the cold, the low blood sugar, or the rage.

"Something along those lines, yes!" He replied shortly, cranking up the heat and angling the vents towards himself.

"Sorry, then. Because I promised a long time ago to never lie to you." A breath hissed through his clenched teeth, and Jake nearly slammed on the gas to tear out of the driveway.

"You don't mean that. You're upset." Jake said quietly into the receiver, and he recited the address he had learned so long ago in his mind as he passed a few familiar streets.

"Don't come over. It just has to be this way. Things are never easy with… with me. You have to understand. You don't need me. And I don't want to need you." Jake grit his teeth. The line went dead. He held back a curse and turned sharply; he had to make it before they left. The stoplight in front of him made a startling skip from green to red, and his foot couldn't find the brakes fast enough. A driver as equally as surprised as him attempted to swerve out of the way, but Jake could tell collision was imminent. And suddenly, his world exploded into metal and glass.

oOo

Jake watched the burnt orange leaves sway in the wind through the window, still clinging to the little bit of life before the crisp autumn brought them down. The trees on this side of the school were his favorite- the leaves sometimes held out until the week or so before winter hit, and they were always the prettiest shades of gold and amber. He got up from his grandmother's large oak desk, scattered with her student's papers and his work, and went to stand directly in front of the window. His eyes slowly roved downwards, from the darkening sky to the soft carpet of crunchy leaves on the grass.

Taking a deep breath in, Jake swore that he could smell, could feel, fall in the room with him. His lips lifted at the corners, and he closed his eyes. He'd been so wrapped up in work lately. It was too easy for him to throw himself into it completely, and while Jade praised his work ethic, he could tell that she was worried about him. Speak of the devil, his grandmother opened the door behind him with an audible click, peeking her head in.

"Jakey, dear. Grab our stuff, will you? We have to dart over to the main office, and then we can scoot on home and cook something up for dinner, 'kay?" She said with a small smile, teeth poking out from behind her top lip a little. He turned from the window and to Jade's desk, sweeping the papers into a semblance of order, putting his homework in his satchel and handing Jade's to her. She nodded, her bright green eyes shining. The look in them gave Jake a strange sense of foreboding, that something big was about to happen. Perhaps she was planning a pop quiz for her students, or a particularly pressing open response question?

His grandmother was a high school teacher at M. East Houston High, the same school that he had started attending three years ago. Jade Harley was 68 years old, and acted like she wasn't a day over 20. She took nature walks, volunteered at animal shelters, knew how to shoot a rifle, and let her shimmery, salt-and-pepper hair fall down to the small of her back. He wasn't her biological grandson- he was orphaned at 6, and she snatched him up as quick as she could to take him to the country. As a result, he was homeschooled until his last year of middle school, until Jade couldn't stand being in one place anymore. They've been living in Houston ever since, but she was thinking of relocating to New York, as soon as Jake warmed up to big places, lots of people.

Aha, yes, that.

Jake was what Jade affectionately called a hermit. He didn't like talking to people, and he rarely went out. It wasn't his fault, really. Nobody really liked him, whether they thought he was some sort of weirdo or teacher's pet or whatever. He couldn't help if he did well in school or spoke like a proper gent. He sighed and adjusted his glasses. They just didn't... understand, or make any effort to, so why should he be the one extending the metaphorical olive branch? Jade looked over questioningly. They were in the hallway, outside of the principal's office. He shook his head, and walked in ahead of her- making sure to hold the door open, of course. She rolled her eyes and poked him in the side as she passed. She would have words with him later.

"Ah, the Harley-Englishes. Thank you Jade, for giving this your consideration." The principal said, smiling lightly and shuffling a few papers on his desk. The thought that he did that for show, to present a stereotypical "principal" image, popped into his head, and he felt that he wasn't that far off. The principal was often wrapped up in what others thought, and how others thought, constantly trying to better the world, even it was just a facade of perfection. Jake had been here before, although never for the wrong reasons. Still, any authoritative figure tended to intimidate him, so he drifted closer to his grandmother, and out of the principal's judging gaze.

"It's our pleasure, Kankri, really." Jade replied, stepping away from Jake in retaliation. "Your thanks should probably be redirected to Jake though- he's going to be the one doing all the work." Wait. What? Had his ears gone haywire? He had AP exams to study for, essays to write, portfolios to arrange! Granted, they were due in May, but he could never be too careful! Distractions like extracurriculars and whatever these two were throwing at him would leave him suspecpitble to the seductive maiden named Procrastination, and he'd end up being sucker punched by all the work he let pile up all the way to the fan!

"Jake. Jake, darling." Jake's eyes came back into focus, on slender fingers waving in front of his face. Oh, bugger, he'd zoned out again, yammering away to himself inside his head. Mr. Vantas looked at him patronizingly, his awkward, forced smile making him seem sort of robotic, alien.

"As I was saying, Mr. English- and might I add that tuning people out could seriously offend them, making them feel as if they are insignificant, irrelevant? Of course, I will pardon you, as your grandmother obviously had not informed you of this arrangement beforehand, but in the future, I implore you to better utilize your listening skills." He nodded sagely, eyes closed. Jade turned to him quickly and shook a single finger, and Jake had to hold back a laugh. Mr. Vantas was the principal, for Pete's sake! Jade needed to control herself, lest she put her job in jeopardy.

Mr. Vantas cleared his throat, opened his eyes, and he was off again. "Ah, sorry for my tangent. I'm right, though. You are, admittedly, one of the better students of the school, of course, so I've decided to put you on a rather tough case. We're getting a new student, and from what M. East has heard, he's quite a handful. The school year is already underway, and he needs to get caught up with that, along with any supplementary material he might struggle with here. I trust you're up to it?" He raised his eyebrows expectantly. Jade turned to him as well, and Jake felt like the walls were closing in on him. Jake? Tutor? He could barely hold a conversation, let alone be depended upon...!

However... Mr. Vantas had said he was a great student, and he was. He took quite a bit of pride in his high standards, his grades were nothing to sneeze at. So he was a very viable candidate for the job. He could look at it as experience, another academic challenge that he would rise to, no problem-o!

"I'll do whatever you need me to, sir." Jake finally said, a nervous rush flooding his body, he could do this, he could do this.

"Excellent! You were right again, Jade. Anywho, your pupil will be here next week, and you will be together on Mondays and Thursdays for now. If there are any complications, we can, of course, reschedule. Until then, look over what you've covered so far so you can rehash it to him, maybe garner a few worksheets or papers?" Mr. Vantas stood, and reached out a hand. For a second, Jake thought Jade was supposed to take it, until he looked up and saw the principal's eyes boring into him.

"I- yes, looking forward to it, mate!" He nearly choked, and he heard Jade stifle a laugh.

"It was a pleasure, Kankri. Tell your brother hi for me, and don't forget to call your dad!" She then took his hand and bodily moved him out the door, waving to Mr. Vantas over her shoulder. They weren't out fast enough, though, to miss him mutter "Strange kid..." Jade pursed her lips, and Jake felt his shoulders sag. One of her slender arms stretched across his back, and he leaned into her.

"You're too good for this world, Jakey. That's all. I think this tutoring thing will be beneficial for you though." She told him, swinging her free arm up to push open the front entrance to the school.

"One o' your good ol' gut feelings, Grandma?" He teased, partially- Jake knew how uncannily right she could be- clicking the unlock button on the keys in his coat pocket.

"Of course."

"Of course."

They laughed all the way to the car.

oOo

The week lagged as time often does when waiting for something important. Thursday was boring, Friday was awful- pop quizzes galore. Jake awoke Saturday morning to the delicious smell of pancakes and bacon. He trudged downstairs, hair disheveled and glasses crooked, to join his grandmother in the squeezing of fresh orange juice.

"So what do you want to do today, kiddo? I finished my lesson plans for next week, so I'm free as a bird. And you're too diligent to have let your school week bleed over into your free time." She asked, retrieving the syrup from the cabinets with ease. Jake shrugged, watching the coffee drip drip drip into the pot slowly. He was leaning on the counter, letting it support most of his weight. He didn't get a lot of sleep last night. Jade pouted, and whipped him on the arm with a spatula nearby.

"Ouch, Grandma! I sure do hope you didn't need that utensil anymore, because you seem to have gotten a generous amount of Ass-Whooping on it!" Jake grumbled, rubbing his arm and shoving off of the surface behind him. She giggled and swept away into the dining room, beginning to set the table.

"Sorry, honey. But you look so down in the dumps. What's up, buttercup?" She called back to the kitchen, and he thought about it as he brought the plates of food to her.

"I guess... just school. The usual stuff."

"Don't you lie to me, young man. I can tell." She warned him, brandishing her handful of serving silverware.

"I wasn't! It is school stuff..." Jake retorted, trailing off. He sat in his chair, and Jade settled in across from him. She began to fill her plate, smiling impishly.

"Aha. It's that poor transfer you have to tutor, isn't it? Don't worry, you're gifted in the ways of learning, kid. Nothing to fear." She took a hearty swig of her orange juice, and Jake bored a hole into his breakfast.

"Yeah. It's just... All that responsibility, heaped upon me at once? It's quite the pickle, for me, Grandma. What if I fall behind? Or worse, I fail him in some way-"

"Bah. What ifs and doubts never got anybody anywhere, Jake. You need to look on the bright side. Like how good this'll look on your college apps." Jake sighed and smiled softly. Bright side. Maybe his pupil would be nice? Maybe all he needed was a bit of understanding, a good friend. And admittedly, maybe Jake needed the same.

"I'll try, Grandma."

"That's all I've ever asked of you, dear."

They worked together to clear off the table, and hammered out a weekend itinerary. They needed to go shopping, but they'd put that off until tomorrow. Jade wanted to check out a new store they opened on their street that they knew next to nothing about- adventure indeed! And then they would head out for an afternoon snack, coming home for a brief rest when that was done. It was very lax compared to the hustle and bustle of the work week, but that was the way Jake preferred it. It was nice to take a break every once and awhile, rare though they were. The store turned out to be a little oddity shop, full of interesting trinkets like dream catchers and the heady smell of burning incense. They didn't buy anything, but Jade had Jake take a note of the place for later. The pair went to Starbucks after that, and before they got in line, they sat at one of the tables inside. Jade pulled out a napkin and a pen from her purse, starting the grocery list for tomorrow.

"How many eggs to we have at home now? I know I used some today but..." She mused, tapping her lips with the pen.

"We only have about half of the carton left. We should probably pick up some aluminum foil, too." Jade nodded and scribbled, looking up at the shortening queue of people in line for their overpriced caffeine.

"Here, Jakey, you do the list while I get our snacks! What do you want?" She slid the napkin and pen over to Jake's side of the table, hitching her purse up on her shoulder.

"I'll have my usual for this time of year, or course! Oh, and two of those dandy vanilla bean scones, they're to die for with a latte." He replied, adding milk, oranges, and paper towels to the grocery lineup absentmindedly, stomach gurgling. He probably should have had more pancakes, but he was itching to get out and go too fast this morning, it seemed. Jade glanced at the menu behind them, and back to Jake.

"Oh... Jake, not to be a bother, hun, but... what drink do you want? I can't quite remember from last year..." She said, almost apologetically. Jake smiled up at her. Why should she be sorry? Everyone forgot things from time to time! He told her as much.

"And, the drink is the Pumpkin Spice Latte, of course! Apparently they only have it this time of year because it's impossible to keep pumpkins any other time."

"Pesky pumpkins!" She joked, and shuffled to the line. Jake watched her for a minute, then shrugged his discomfort off. It just might be an off day for her. Best to let it be. After she paid, he went over and grabbed his drink and bag from her, escorting her to the car. He opened the passenger side door for her- ladies first, of course- and then wound around to the driver side. Suddenly, the wind blew something fierce, and sent Jake's comfortable insulated hat flying right off of his head. He quickly opened the door and set his coffee in the cup holder, tossing the bag of scones down on his seat. He picked his hat up off the asphalt of the parking lot, frowning at the tidbits attached to the wool. He threw it in the back as he climbed in, resolving to deal with it later.

As soon as they had settled in at home on the couch, Jade was out like a light. He smiled and got up gently, tucking her in with a blanket before padding off to his room. It wouldn't hurt to study and get his mind off of things for a bit. Jake sat at his desk in his room, kicking a leg to spin himself a bit. He didn't have much to work with- it was only October 17th, and his teachers were pretty lax. He searched for something to do until dinner, or at least until Jade woke up. His bed was made up, neatly, as were his shelves. He glanced at the spines of his books, but he didn't have anything for leisure reading. And did he really want to read the book on theoretical physics? Agian? He spun back around to face the desk, fingers touching his laptop briefly. The internet held no interest for him. With a sigh, he left his chair and flopped facedown on his bed. This was going to be a long year.

oOo

By the time Monday rolled around, Jade had to nearly slap Jake's nerves out of him that morning. Sunday had gone quickly, despite their hefty grocery list, and too soon Jake was reminded that he would meet his next assignment the next day. He was told that his pupil was very distinctive, and that he would notice him nearly immediately. So Jake went through the day staring at the doors to his classes, eyes roving around the hallways, searching, to no avail.

After school hours were up, and Jake had gathered his stuff, he made his way over to his grandmother's classroom. He was beyond nervous now, done with the apprehension. All for naught! The bloody fool didn't even show, and had the gall to leave him floundering about all day in anxiety! His mind tried to dredge up a name, which he had been told, he remembered, but without a face to it there was an uncomfortable and annoying disconnect. He planned to tell his grandmother as much when she finished with her papers, and he felt the words lay heavy on his tongue as he pulled open her door. She wasn't in there, but the most beautiful man that Jake had ever seen in his entire life was sitting at one of the desks. Jake's voice shriveled and died in his throat.

His hair was so blonde it was nearly white, and it stuck up in the oddest way. Jake fleetingly wondered if it was deliberate or if he even brushed his hair. His clothes were nondescript, and put together with a hint of carelessness that signified an almost sarcastic aloofness. Strange, triangular shades were perched over his closed eyes. He had his chucks up on an adjacent desk- he was the perfect picture of relaxation. The door closed with a loud thud behind Jake, and the stranger's head snapped up to see who had interrupted the silence. Oh, right- the maintenance had never gotten around to fixing that door, even though Jade had complained about it hitting her on the bum more than once. It closed with the force of a sledgehammer, usually, probably the result of loose hinges or a faulty jamb. Jake swallowed and raised a hand, waving slightly. He felt like an idiot.

"Jade Harley?" The stranger asked, and though his voice was monotone, Jake could hear layers and layers of careful forethought in his words, with just the slightest hint of an accent. His face flushed.

"N-no. She won't be in for a while, she has paperwork and whatnot to do at the main office." He replied, willing his feet to move in the direction Jade's desk, setting his bag down. "It's just me, chap."

It was silent for a moment. And then the stranger burst out laughing. "Is that your real voice, bro? Oh, my god. You must be Jake English then. English. Is that your given name, or did when you come over to the grand ol' USA whoever had the wonderful fortune of hearing your voice first say 'Oh shit, son, you are most definitely Jake English, just listen to that British lilt.' because damn." Jake felt like dying. Who even was this douchebag?

"Dirk Strider, by the way. I'm the 'basket case' you're gonna be stuck with for a while. Sorry in advance." Jake gaped. This was Dirk? His mouth shut with clack and he reached for his bag, hastily pulling out his printed worksheets. As he pulled, though, the apparent force dragged the rest of his books out with it, and all of his stuff scattered onto the floor. Jake felt his ears burn, heard the patronizing cackle behind him. This was not going well.

"You know, English, I didn't bring any supplies with me today. My Bro didn't bother with draggin' his sorry ass out of bed to take me school shopping this year." Dirk commented as Jake fell to his knees, trying to gather his things with a shred of his already-ramshackle dignity intact.

"I'll lend you a pencil. Just don't make it a habit, buster." Jake finally said, rising and sliding Dirk's papers onto his desk along with the aforementioned writing utensil, returning his disheveled bag to Jade's desk. Dirk nodded, smirk playing at his lips. Jake couldn't make out his eyes from behind the reflective plastic, and it made him uncomfortable. Eyes were the windows to the soul, after all. He shook his head almost imperceptibly. Dirk made him uncomfortable, and it had been what, a few minutes? He wished his grandmother would appear and save him. Alas, she probably predicted his pupil's arrival, and decided to wait up for him in the library or something. Dammit, Grandma.

Jake stood at the front of the classroom, shifting from foot to foot. He wasn't a teacher, he didn't know what to do, and Dirk was still staring. Or was he? Dad blast those shades...!

"You wanna sit down, English, and I don't know... do your job?" Dirk asked, rolling the pencil with his index finger. He gestured to the desk beside him grandly, removing his feet from the surface. Jake must have made a face, because he laughed a bit. "Hey, I won't bite. Unless you ask me to, heh." Jake stumbled forward and slid into the desk.

"So, um, we have most of the same classes. Though, you're taking French and I'm taking Spanish... and your classes aren't advanced..." Dirk raised his eyebrows so that they peeked out from behind his glasses. Jake stuttered. "Not that there's anything w-wrong with that!"

"Yeah. And another thing. I'm not an overachiever." Dirk said, leaning back with a smirk. "I'm more of an underachiever. So don't get your standards up too high, because I'll sure as hell miss 'em by a mile." Dirk completed his spiel by knocking Jake's worksheets onto the floor. "Plus printed sheets are for kindergarteners. Asshole." Jake's stomach churned, frustration making his whole body heat up. He wondered if his face was red. Probably.

Jake looked at the clock- they had another 30 minutes to go. He allowed himself to scream internally. He just needed to look at this rationally. There was no way Dirk wasn't going to put in any effort. He was kind of stuck here, after all.

"Okay, I'm out of here. Thanks for the absolutely riveting lesson, bro." Dirk stood, stretching his arms above his head. Jake watched, unable to formulate words, such was his anger, as Dirk pocketed his pencil and made for the door.

"W-w-what? You can't just... leave!" Jake said, shooting up out of his seat. "You haven't learned anything!"

"Maybe you need to learn something, Jake. I don't give a shit, okay? Not about school, or grades, or whatever. I don't care for anything, or anyone, so why even bother, right? I'm just disappointment in a beautiful, pale, freckled fuckin' box... See you Thursday." The door slamming drove a nail right into his heart. No, Dirk. He was the disappointment. Not knowing what else to do, he stayed in his grandmother's room until the session was supposed to end. Jade popped in as soon as the second hand ticked passed the 12.

"How was it, kid?" She asked excitedly, dumping out his bag to reorganize it for him. Jake shrugged, staring at the wall. When he blinked, he swore he saw black triangles on the bumpy surface. Jesus Christmas.

"Aw come on! What did he look like? What did you all talk about? Was he... you know...?"

"Rude? Disinterested? Immature? Angry? Insufferable?" Jake supplied, not taking his eyes off the wall. Jade paused in her movements.

"I was going to say cute." She said glumly, and Jake hung his head. "Was it really that bad, sweetheart?" Jake didn't say anything, but he stood and shuffled over to his grandmother. She opened her arms and he fell in, sighing deeply.

"I don't think I can do it. I'm going to fail, Grandma." Jade petted his hair gently, rocking him.

"Harley-Englishes don't fail, Jake. They learn." She replied, and he was silent in thought. She pulled back and held Jake at arms length, smiling. "I'm sure there's a very good reason he blew you off. But more importantly-"

"Oh my god, grandma! Yes, he was a looker, alright? Not that I have time for any of that- you know my schedule-"

"Yes, but all work and no play makes Jake a dull boy, honey." She pinched his cheeks and released him, handing him his newly organized bag. "You're 16. Live a bit before you're too old like me!"

"You're not that old, Grandma." He tutted, then said, "I'll give you a play-by-play in the car." Jade giggled and swept the two of them out the door, stepping over his scattered papers. She raised her eyebrows, though, and Jake shrugged, sweeping them up. He needed a new game plan for Thursday. That was, if Dirk even showed...


	2. Chapter 2

Jake nearly stopped in his tracks on Friday when he saw Dirk sitting in his first period class, AP Calculus. Honestly, he shouldn't have been surprised- he knew that they shared their maths class and Computer Programming class. However, the blonde hadn't shown up all week, not even for their tutoring session. Dirk didn't acknowledge him, so he decided to do the same. He took his seat and class proceeded as usual. The teacher was covering a subject that he had brushed up on during summer break, so he allowed himself to be distracted a bit. He watched the clock tick for at least 20 minutes before the scraping of chairs jarred him.

"Find a partner, Mr. English." The teacher, Mr. Zahaak, said, smiling humorously. "You'll be checking each other's work. I assume you know how to solve the problems?"

"Of course, sir. It's just... er, I'd rather work by myself, if you don't mind." Jake said, glancing behind him to look at the pairs of friends tucked away in the corners, chatting softly. He turned back to see Dirk, arms crossed, standing by Mr. Zahaak's desk. How did he...?

"Ah, you know I would let you, but we have an even number today, thanks to Mr. Strider. He's new here. Perhaps you could show him the ropes, hmm?"

"Please no. I'd rather work by myself as well." Dirk said, adjusting his shades. Jake nearly snapped something back, but he held his tongue. He couldn't fight fire with fire, after all.

"I... well I suppose. However, you could check at the end. If you don't want to work-"

"Hey, are these your kids?" Dirk asked, shifting Mr. Zahaak' attention.

"Ah, no. That's my nephew and one of my friends. Um, but-"

"He's cute. Your nephew." Dirk said, leaning over to study the picture. "How old is he?"

"T-twelve. Almost thirteen?" Mr. Zahaak gestured weakly to the board, where the work was written.

"Your brother or sister?"

"Brother, but Mr. Strider, I fail to see the point of this-"

"Older brother, I'm guessing, bet he's the stepfather. And there isn't really a point. But now Jake and I won't have enough time to get through the problems and check by the end of class." Dirk chuckled and pulled his- _Jake's_ \- pencil out of his pocket. He waved at them with it cheerfully, and walked back to his desk. Mr. Zahaak cleared his throat.

"Okay. Well, get through as many problems as you have time for, Mr. English. Do... do you and Mr. Strider know each other? Would you know why he's been absent for so long?" Jake paused, then shook his head. He really didn't want to be associated with Dirk at the moment. Or maybe ever. Probably never.

"It just seems that he has something against you. Ah, forget about it. Get to work, please." Jake nodded and his eyes darted to Dirk, who was smiling widely at him. He mouthed _"you're welcome"_ and looked down at the notebook paper in front of him. Jake scoffed and sat down, aiming to work quickly and efficiently to beat Dirk and his stupid trick. The time passed in a blur, and Jake was on the last problem when Mr. Zahaak gave the class permission to pack up. He cursed under his breath, gathered his things, and spared a glance at Dirk a ways behind him. His paper was covered in scribbles, not a single number to be seen. What. What even.

"Bye, _English_. See you later." He said as he passed Jake, putting the pencil on his desk. Jake swallowed his fury and hastily put the pencil in its case. He wasn't looking forward to Programming.

oOo

Computer Programming was Jake's second-to-last class of the day, so he had quite some time to figure out how he was going to handle Dirk. He couldn't talk to him without getting upset, he knew, so he opted to just completely ignore him. What he didn't notice couldn't hurt him. Probably. Without looking around, Jake went straight to his seat, turning on his screen and logging in. His fingers froze on the keys when the chair next to him rolled out and back in.

"Hey." Dirk said. Jake kept his eyes on the screen. Why him?

"Alright, if you haven't, turn your computers on. We're gonna keep going with that program we started Wednesday. Record your progress and put it online and for the love of God don't lie to me because I will find out and erase everything you ever were." Mr. Captor's slight lisp made him sound like a venomous snake. Without any further explanation, he popped his headphones in and went at his own computer, probably plotting to blow up the school or something.

"Ahem. English, can you show me what the hell I'm supposed to be doing? Please?" Dirk murmured, opening his browser and waiting. Jake sighed, debating.

"Fine. Where were you all week?" Jake couldn't keep himself from asking, annoyed at his apparent lack of fucks to give. He reached over and typed Mr. Captor's website address into the bar, pointing at their period. Dirk clicked it, reading over the instructions and links.

"My asshole brother." He said simply, and Jake resisted the urge to pull out his hair. Or Dirk's. Dirk laughed a little, opening a new tab on his computer.

"What are you doing." Jake said, as Dirk pulled up a gaming site. "You won't ever get any work done like this!"

"That's kinda the point, dude." Dirk chuckled, moving his left hand to the arrow keys. "Thanks for trying, though. You're very convincing. Next you'll be tellin' me I can't get into a good college, or score the big bucks. Newsflash, Einstein. Like I said, I could really care less." Dirk said, shaking his head as his on-screen counterpart died. Jake sputtered, and Dirk nodded to the other's computer. "Better get crackin' on that code, English. Looks like a… what's a word you would probably use? _Doozy_."

oOo

"I mean, we're polar opposites, Grandma! What am I supposed to do? I'm absolutely _dreading_ Monday…" Jake said, early the next morning. He and Jade had decided to go out for breakfast, so they sat at a small table in some diner surrounded by the smell of coffee and pancakes.

"The best thing you can do, I suppose, is have an open mind. Maybe he'll respond eventually, warm up to you. Like a cat." Jade said thoughtfully, brows lowering. "God, I hate cats."

"Grandma, you don't hate cats." Jake sighed, "just that one that got into your garden. Bec chased him off eventually. Should you generalize-"

"That cat was the devil personified, Jake. It had no soul, it killed poor Becquerel in the end. And have you seen cats eyes? They always look like they're plotting against you." Jade interrupted, widening her eyes for effect.

"Bec died of old age. He was like, a thousand. That's besides the point, anyway-" Jake tried, but Jade held up a finger.

"You should ask him if he has a dog. By which I mean, get to know him. You have all year to be getting your 'learning on' or whatever, but if you aren't friendly with each other than it might all be for nothing anyway. How many people do you think have given up on this poor kid?" Jade said, reaching over the table to take his hand. Jake's heart clenched.

"Grandma, that might be difficult. You know school has always been a priority…"

"Change is okay, darling. It gives us room to grow, like moving a flower from a pot to the soil. Pretty soon, you're gonna have a whole garden to bask in!" Jake smiled. "Or at least a bush or two. I won't push you."

"Thank you, Grandma. I owe you one."

"Get me dessert for tonight and we'll call it even." She said, and winked, eyes shining.

oOo

Jake made sure to make it to Jade's classroom earlier than Dirk the next Monday afternoon, thinking carefully about his lesson. Well, if anything, the lesson was more for him today. He started by dragging two desks farther up than the first row, angling them towards each other. Then he sat in the one facing the door, waiting, with what he hoped was a welcoming smile.

Exactly six minutes after the appointed time, Dirk stepped into the room. He raised his eyebrows at the setup, and hesitantly sat down in the desk opposite Jake.

"Hello, Dirk!" Jake said, forcing his fingers to remain still as his hands laid on the desk's surface.

Dirk nodded and tilted his head. "Sup, English."

Jake kept smiling, head going blank. Cripes. He could almost feel the curious look that Dirk was giving him, and he wished again that he would take off his glasses, especially while he was indoors, there was no need for them-

"Hey, English. We gonna work today or are you just gonna stare at me? Not that I blame you in the least." Dirk said, leaning forward in his seat.

"Uh, no. We aren't going to work, actually! I was hoping we could chat a bit!" Jake said, gauging Dirk's reaction.

The blonde leaned back in his seat, huffing out a laugh. "Haha, okay. I'll go first. What made you take this job, cause whatever it is, it ain't worth it."

Jake felt his smile falter. This was not going well.

"Well, my grandmother and my principal agreed the task would be befitting of me, so I-"

"Task. So I'm like, something to check off on your to do list. Nice to know." Dirk said lightly, tapping rhythmically on the desk with one hand.

"No, no, it's just-"

"I get it. I don't blame you."

" _Okay_ , let's try something else. You mentioned your brother, what is he like?" Jake said, conversational tone just a bit forced.

Dirk laughed, for real, and shook his head. "Dave. He's an aloof master of irony, and a decent rapper. Also, I hate him. That's all you need to know."

Jake smiled awkwardly. "Alright, um. The only family I've got is my Grandmother, and she's pretty nice..."

"English, I'm beginning to think we should see other people." Dirk said, sliding his hands off the desk and into his lap. Jake pushed his glasses up his nose.

"W-wait, okay! Topic change... why do you wear glasses indoors?" Jake finally said, snapping his fingers. Dirk seemed to deliberate with himself for a minute, then he reached up to his eyes.

"My... my _Dad_ , uh... used to say it was because he put orange soda in my bottle cause I wouldn't take anything else." Dirk said quietly, sliding off his shades. Then he looked up at Jake, and all of his breath left him. "It's a lady-killer, if only I were about that life."

"You... you aren't joshing? Those aren't... contacts, or something?" Dirk's eyes were a bright orange, and it reminded Jake suddenly of the autumn leaves outside the windows behind him. Dirk would look lovely next to them, if he were ever to take a picture out there. Uh.

"Everything about me is all-natural, baby." Dirk smirked, and then sighed. "Sorry. Seriously, though, maybe we shouldn't do this. You don't seem cut out for this, and you literally will never get anywhere." He put his glasses back on, and stood.

"Wait, w-we still have an hour-" Jake said hurriedly, but Dirk turned to the door.

"I'm gonna talk to the principal. If it falls through, guess I'll see you on Thursday. And in class, of course." Dirk finally muttered, then left. Jake felt like throwing himself out the window.

oOo

Dirk actually didn't show until Thursday, which left Jake alone with his anxiety for over 48 hours. That was never a good thing. But the night before, he had dragged his grandmother to the supermarket for a last ditch idea, holding onto the hope that he'd see Dirk at school the next day. He squirreled away the goods in Jade's hidden fridge under her desk that morning before making his way to first period. Relief covered him like his childhood blanket when he found Dirk sitting in Mr. Zahaak's classroom. He walked over to the blonde's desk briskly, practically skipping.

"Good morning, Mr. Strider! How do you _ever_ manage to miss so much school?" Dirk glanced up at him and sighed.

"And how on God's green Earth are you so damn cheery in the morning? Dave signed me off for it, so it's cool. I make up all the work I miss, don't worry your pretty little head." Dirk sounded tired, for sure, but Jake could've sworn in front of a jury and God himself that Dirk might've been a little pleased to see him.

The thought made hope blossom anew in Jake's hammering ribcage. "I-"

"Class, please take your seats. Pop quiz time!" Mr. Zahaak called with a small grin as his students voiced their exasperation, Jake among them. Jake scuttled off to his seat, and remained there for the rest of the period, too focused on keeping up with Mr. Zahaak's lesson after the quiz to check up with Dirk again. They didn't get the chance to converse in Mr. Captor's class either, Dirk furiously typing code in what Jake thought was an effort to catch up. Maybe he was getting through to him? He supposed he could ask during their session today, and actually work if his partner was willing! The thought excited him.

He strolled into Jade's classroom after school, hopes higher than usual. Surprisingly, Dirk was already in his chair, desks in the same position as last time. Dirk must've moved them himself. Jake smiled.

"Good afternoon! Are you planning on staying for our whole session today?" Jake asked, and went to Jade's desk instead of the one opposite Dirk. Dirk snorted.

"I have nothing better to do, besides get furiously accosted by my devil-spawn older brother. So, yeah. What's the plan? Another _heart to heart_?" He replied, tracking Jake as he leaned down to the fridge.

Jake sprang up, two orange soda cans clutched in his hands, winning smile in place. "Sort of. I thought that maybe we could just hang out, since you looked like you were actually working today." Dirk was silent as Jake came back around, setting one soda on Dirk's desk and the other on his own. "This is Crush, but I also have Fanta. I didn't know-"

"Why are you doing this?" Dirk interrupted, voice more emotional than he'd ever heard it.

Jake blinked. "Doing what?"

Dirk sighed hotly, shoulders tense. "Being… acting like this! What don't you get about me? I'm a fuck-up. A disappointment. I don't care about this school. I don't care about my life. I don't care about you! And I'm a lot of things, but I'm not a liar. I'm only ever honest. So believe me when I say _you can't help me_. No one can. So fuck off!"

Jake flinched as Dirk stood rapidly, breathing heavily. "I-I I refuse… to give up."

Dirk glared down at him, and Jake presumably met his gaze. "I have never encountered a problem that I could not solve, and I refuse to give up on you! This clearly runs deeper than whatever cool kid facade you've got going on, buster. I'll be damned if sit back and watch you suffer."

"What the _hell_ do ya even think you're gonna accomplish? You don't know anything about me. And you never will!" Dirk spat, stalking to the door.

Jake stood, and caught his arm. Dirk raised his hand, and Jake honest-to-God worried that he was going to get hit. "I'm lonely too, dad-blast it! But you don't see me acting like a five year old!" Dirk's open hand connected with Jake's cheek with a resounding _smack_ , and he released his hold.

"I'm not fuckin' lonely. I don't need anyone. I don't need you. You don't know jack-shit about my life." Dirk's voice trembled with rage, and his accent was as thick as his voice. "And I swear to God if you ever touch me again-"

Jake shook his head, eyes stinging almost as much as his cheek. "I believe in you." He said, instead, and Dirk visibly shuddered. "But I can't stop you. I just hoped…"

"Hoped? Hoped what? That we could be friends? You need to grow up." Dirk scoffed, and Jake closed his eyes. The door opened, and slammed shut. Jake tried hard not to cry.

But he failed.

oOo

Jade didn't press him when he refused to open up about Thursday's session. Dirk had left extremely early, so Jake had enough time to school his features back into a forced mask of joviality. It felt plastic, but it was better than worrying his Grandma with his stupid, miserable social life. Besides, Halloween was that Saturday, and Jade got extremely excited about any holiday. Who was he to dampen her mood?

Friday's classes with Dirk were spent in stony silence. In fact, all of his classes were unusually dull, and his teachers seemed worried that their top student was hardly paying attention. Jake found himself frighteningly apathetic. What was happening to him?

oOo

Saturday rolled around, and Jake was woken up by his very excitable Grandma. The way she hopped on his bed and pestered him until he got up reminded him of a puppy. He swatted at her half-heartedly, knowing that she'd win him over eventually.

"C'mon, Jakey! We have to carve pumpkins for tonight, and make pumpkin pie, and finish up our Halloween shopping, and we'll even go to Starbucks for breakfast!" Jade offered, dancing away from his hands faster than anyone over 50 had a right to. He grumbled, but rolled out of bed, and Jade giggled triumphantly.

"I'd wager that you don't even need coffee, Grandma." He yawned, and shooed her out so that he could dress. She cackled all the way down the hall, sounding like some deranged witch. Goodness gracious. Going to his closet, Jake pulled out one of his many sweaters, this one embroidered with a rather dapper ghost with glasses. He and Jade had purchased matching ones immediately, his in black, hers in orange. He assumed that she'd either be wearing that, or something similar. He threw it on over a pair of jeans, ran a brush through his hair, and met Jade in the living room. For a second, he wasn't sure of what exactly he was seeing.

"Alright, Jakey. Are we good to go?" She asked, ignoring his flabbergasted stare. She was in a full on Halloween costume, from what he could tell. Stripes went all the way up her legs, to a large puffy skirt that sparkled as she swayed in front of him. The bodice was modest, thank heavens, and led to oversized sleeves. Her head was topped with a pointed black hat.

"What… are you wearing? You're 68, and you told me _I_ was too old to dress up this year!" He sputtered, and Jade squinted happily.

"I said, you were 'too old to _trick or treat_ , because you're turning 17 in December'! There's no age limit on costumes." She tutted, and sighed. "Though I guess I can save this for tonight. Do you think I should get green face paint while we're out?"

" _No._ " He said emphatically, and she pouted.

"You're no fun. Can you start the car while I change, dear?" She tossed Jake the keys from her purse.

"D'you want me to drive, as well?" He asked, and she paused. It was quiet for a minute.

"Yeah, I… uh, can't remember the exact way to, uh, Spirit."

"Spirit Halloween? Don't worry, I've got it. And it only pops up once a year, so it can be hard to remember exactly where it is! No problem-o, Grandma." Jake said easily, though something twisted in his gut. Jade had been forgetting more and more lately, and he made a note to schedule her a check-up, at least. It was probably nothing.

 _That night…_

"Happy Halloween!" Jade said as she dropped a handful of candy into a little skeleton's pumpkin-shaped bucket. Jake waved happily behind her, and the kid said his thanks. They moved on, and scarecrow took their place. The cycle continued until the line wore down, and Jade closed the door. She looked in her bowl with a frown.

"These monsters are bleeding me dry, kiddo." She sighed, moving to the kitchen so she could grab a couple more bags of candy. Jake hummed, and peeked out the window. Their block was really beautiful, as most of the houses didn't use those huge, gaudy decorations. Instead, orange and yellow strings of lights illuminated the yards. Flames from the jack-o-lanterns flickered in the light wind. Mothers and fathers herded their children from house to house, older siblings trailed behind. There were a couple of teens out, and Jake thought he recognized a few of them. He pursed his lips.

"Hey, honey! Can you come help me with these caramel apples? The kids will go _nuts_." Jade called, and a worrying crashing noise followed. "Oh, never mind. I'll be there in a sec."

She swept back into view, two huge trays of the confections in each hand, and big smile plastered on. He rushed to take one from her, but not before she caught the look on his face. She rubbed his shoulder as another troupe made its way up to their door.

"Everything's gonna be fine, sweetheart. It doesn't look like it now, but trust me. I was a teenager too. Your hormones are crazy, life is changing…"

"Grandma…"

The doorbell rang. "It hurts. But, sometimes, to get stronger, we have to break down a few walls. Like renovation." Jade said, and opened the door to give matching ghosts their apples. As soon as the door closed again, Jake carefully wrapped one arm around his grandmother, mindful of the trays still in their hands.

"Thanks." he whispered, and she patted him on the back.

"Anytime, bucko."


	3. Chapter 3

Jake was just a bit reluctant to return to school Monday, though Jade did a bang-up job of lifting his spirits that weekend. He was also doubting Dirk's continued attendance. Heck, after Thursday's conflict, he doubted his _own_ continued attendance. He had known Dirk for only a month, if knowing could be defined as 'been continually plagued by'. Yet, he felt that there was more to the blonde than he was letting on. Jade noticed his trepidation, but was adamant in her belief that he should face his problems head on. So he donned his well-worn green coat as a sort of armor, and showed up bright and early to Mr. Zahaak's class for first period.

He was one of the first to arrive- three other students were already in their seats. Dirk was not one of them, and Jake was a bit embarrassed to realize that he did not know the names of his classmates all that well. He sat down, and Mr. Zahaak shot him a small smile.

"Good morning." Jake said politely, and his smile widened a fraction.

"Good morning. You seem to be in better spirits."

Jake laughed half-heartedly, eyes darting to the door. Would Dirk be a no-show today? He didn't know how to feel about that. "Significantly so, Mr. Zahaak. I had… a rough week, I suppose you could say."

Mr. Zahaak nodded. "Nothing like a holiday to boost morale, though. We're just doing a refresher today, so, could you please run a few errands for me?"

"Of course. I'd love to help!" Jake said, almost too quickly. Mr. Zahaak didn't notice, and shuffled through a few papers on his desk.

"You're always a great help, Jake." Mr. Zahaak said happily, passing a stack of sheets and the like over to him. "Just deliver those as noted, and bring anything you receive back to me. I'll write you a pass, as well."

Jake took his work for the day with gusto, more relieved than anything. Putting things off never appealed to him, but he would rather refrain from meeting Dirk at the moment. He was out the door as the first passing bell rang. He glanced behind himself only once, to see a familiar head of blonde hair zip through the door. He kind of felt like he dodged a bullet.

oOo

His bliss could only last for so long, however, as he still shared one more class with Dirk. Mr. Captor would be a hell of a lot less considerate, working them as if no time had passed between Friday and Monday. Dirk was already in his usual seat, and Jake had no choice but to slide in next to him.

"Hey." the blonde murmured softly, keeping his eyes locked on the screen in front of him. Jake noticed with fascination that it displayed code far more advanced than what they'd covered in class. "I was an asshole Thursday. But I'm not sorry. You just gotta accept that there are some people beyond help."

Jake was shaking his head, even before Dirk finished his spiel. "I can't believe that."

Dirk laughed quietly. "Then I can prove you wrong."

Before Jake could reply, Mr. Captor called the class to attention.

"Okay. So. I'm going to be honest. The truth hurts sometimes, kids. And I have to say, the code you submitted last week was _shit_. So we're gonna go back and redo them, piece by piece, until your fingers bleed. Easy-peasy. Get to work. I'll check it out on my website and tell you if you're headed in the right direction or not, and then you're on your own."

He spun in his chair once, and then started furiously typing. Jake hesitantly went into his code, and saw that he'd made a 72. Yikes. He glanced over to Dirk's screen, almost subconsciously. 100. _100_? Dirk caught his gaze and smirked, adjusting his shades. Jake frowned and went back to his own work. He could ask him after school.

oOo

Dirk was five minutes late. Jake was in position, desks angled (though they were further apart). He sat, facing the door, torn between looking for his pupil or being thankful for his absence. Jake had never been in a position quite like this one- he'd never been hit before last week, either. He felt so mixed up, and he hated it. The door creaked open.

"Good afternoon, Strider." Jake said, as Dirk reluctantly slid into his seat.

"'Sup, English." He replied, with a little nod.

"Alright, so, what are we in the mood for today? We could go over the first few decades that you missed in history, or the opening chapters of a few of your textbooks…?"

…

….

….

Dirk smiled. And didn't say a thing.

"Listen, buddy. I'm giving you free will."

…silence.

"No one's having fun here."

…

"You're being very immature!"

Dirk moved to reach for his bag, and Jake could only watch skeptically. He sincerely doubted that he was retrieving anything having to do with education. Lips quirked mockingly, Dirk pulled out a pack of cigarettes.

"Don't you dare." Jake warned. Dirk actually brought a lighter. Unbelievable. "You are underage! And in a bloody _school_!"

 _Click_. The little flame went up, and Dirk touched the tip of a cancer-stick to it. Jake gaped as Dirk inhaled deeply, unashamed.

"Gonna tell on me, English?"

He should, he really should, but… he knew that was what Dirk wanted. He probably wanted to be expelled, wanted to be out of these sessions. He knew that Dirk would simply be shuffled off to some other school, though, and into some other tutor's care. And the cycle would repeat itself, unless Jake found some way to get through to him. Steeling his resolve, he reached into his own bag and pulled out a few sheets. Supplementary notes, more for appearance than anything, because Jake already had them memorized.

"Okay, then. We'll start with U.S. History. To begin, we'll look at English society prior to American colonization and what spurred that expansion. Any questions?"

Dirk frowned around his cigarette, but kept up his unwillingness to participate. Jake smiled anyway and began his lecture, ignoring the puffs of smoke sent his way. Dirk may have been stubborn, but Jake had a point to make too. No one was beyond saving.

oOo

Jake was beginning to regret his determination. It was the week before Thanksgiving Break, and even the ever-studious gent that he was felt the desire to quit. Time passed extremely slow in class, and tutoring Dirk was literal torture. He wouldn't speak to him unless it was to make a snide remark, and he always arrived late or left early. The blonde's grades were a constant worry for him. Was Dirk keeping up? Would the principal say anything if his lessons were ineffective? What was so important that Dirk had to slack off all the time? It just ground his gears.

"Do you have any questions about anything, Dirk?" Jake invited, unsurprised that their last Thursday session before break was another dud. "I gave you my number Monday, so don't hesitate to call over break if you need to."

Dirk chuckled, and lolled his head back. He was the epitome of aloofness. Jake grimaced. He'd tried to be pleasant. He'd tried to be nice. But Dirk was… he was…

"You're such an insufferable, arrogant prick!" Jake blurted, and Dirk's head snapped back up. He seemed amused.

"'Bout ready to quit, then, English?" He drawled, sitting up and leaning forward.

"No, never! I just wished that you'd cooperate a little bit! Don't you think it's unfair to me-"

"Unfair? That you gotta be saddled up with a delinquent like me? Sorry to impose, Mr. Goody-Two-Shoes." Dirk interjected. Jake felt like bursting.

"What will it take? I just want to help you!" Jake nearly yelled, and Dirk sat quietly for a few moments. Then, he whistled.

"Damn. You're cute when you're angry." He said, smirking confidently. Jake sputtered. Dirk smiled wider, enjoying his reaction. "I'll give you one good thing about these sessions. At least my teacher's not just a pretty face. You've got brains up in that noggin a'yours, Mr. English."

Jake, red-faced and tight chested, looked anywhere but at Dirk. He laughed, then got out of his seat. "Have a good Thanksgiving, Jake."

Jake couldn't even formulate a response.

oOo

"Something is on your mind, kiddo. I can see it on your face, plain as day." Jade said that Saturday, snapping her slender fingers in his face. They were taking a small stroll through the park, before cold weather set in- though in Texas, he supposed, maybe it wouldn't? It was really a nice day, light breeze, thin clouds, so Jade had suggested a visit to a park not far from their house. Jake passed it on his way to school every morning. There were a few kids playing various sports, a handful of joggers, and one or two couples hanging out on the benches. He and Jade were walking along the dirt path that wound its way around the green of the park, fringed on the left side by trees.

And he was stalling.

"Jakey, honey, tell your Gramma what's up." Jade tutted, reaching up to brush some hair away from his forehead. He sighed.

"What else would it be, Grandma?" Jake said, and Jade took his arm and guided him to a washed-out, green bench.

"Girl troubles?" Jade guessed, eyes twinkling.

"No, Grandma-"

" _Boy_ troubles?" She tried again, and he got even more flustered. She noticed. "A-ha!"

"No, you've gotten the wrong idea! It's- it's a boy, but it isn't romantic or anything, I swear. In fact, it's Dirk! He's just, so-"

"Ooh! But he's so cute, though! Isn't he?" Jade layer a hand on his arm, raising her eyebrows.

"Now, see here! I'm not saying he isn't attractive- wait, that's not what I-" Jake thought he might greatly resemble a tomato at this point.

"Mm. I'm just teasing you, darling. I love seeing you get all tongue-tied! It's adorable. Alright, so, he's giving you trouble." Jade shook her head, adjusting her position to better look at him. Jake nodded, and mirrored her.

"He doesn't speak, so I don't know how he's doing. I'm honestly worried for him." Jake admitted, scratching the back of his neck.

"Are you worried about him? Or how his performance will reflect on you?" Jade asked, though there was no accusation in her voice. Jake felt his temperature rise, and found that he… didn't actually know the answer.

"I… Grandma, what do I do?"

"Don't you have any kids your own age you can talk to? Not that I don't love this, I do, but maybe you could use a… fresher perspective?"

Jake scoffed. "Of course I don't. You know me."

Jade tilted her head. "Well, maybe it's about time you made some friends, anyhow. I won't be around forever."

Jake looked away. "But you're here. And, don't you have any advice?"

"I already gave it. C'mon, pumpkin. These old bones are getting cold." She heaved herself up off the bench, pulling Jake with her. He mulled over her words. They hooked arms, and strolled back to the entrance of the park.

"You set Dirk and me up on purpose, didn't you."

"You're both antisocial dinguses, so I thought you two would be good for each other. Is it so wrong, for me to want my grandson to be happy?" Jade leaned her head on his shoulder.

"Grandma, I _am_ happy!" He protested, adjusting his glasses. She just pulled him closer and let him lead them home.

oOo

Thanksgiving wasn't a huge holiday for them. Usually, the festivities arose from the preposterous amount of extended family and friends all under one roof, but Jake and Jade only had each other. Jake was an orphan, and the agency from which he was adopted disclosed nothing. Jade had never opened up about her life before Jake, and he'd never bothered to ask. So it was just them, which kind of put a wrench in extreme holiday plans. They managed, though. They always had. Plus, Thursday was a really weird day to have a holiday.

"Where did I put that recipe book?" Jade griped to herself, as Jake checked on the cornbread. One of the best parts about Thanksgiving was the food, especially using the Harley family recipes. The house that they lived in had a sizable kitchen as well, and everything was working full throttle. The only things they hadn't started on were the mashed potatoes, the stuffing, and the turkey, all three of which had very specific instructions to deliciousness. Only, the recipes were missing. Not that… not that Jade had ever needed them, before.

Last Thanksgiving, she had had them memorized.

He still remembered, mostly, and if they were going to stay on track, he'd have to intervene. They wouldn't be as good, but… Jade… probably wouldn't be able to tell. His heart clenched. No, she was perfectly healthy. She was the most energetic old lady he'd ever met, she was probably just going through a rough patch. Still… he couldn't help but worry.

"Don't worry, Grandma! You watch enough Master Chef to know what to do. I can recall the recipes anyhow, so we can handle this." Jake said, pulling her away from her valiant cabinet searching. She nodded, still frazzled, and pulled out the pan for the turkey.

"Okay, Jakey. Let's get this bird into the oven- it always take super long!" Soon enough, she was back to her cheerful demeanor, and Jake could almost enjoy himself. They managed without the recipes just fine, and had a smorgasbord of food by two o'clock. The stuffing tasted kind of off, and the potatoes weren't as smooth as he would've liked, but all in all it still was delicious.

"Jake. We cannot eat again until Christmas." Jade intoned as she looked over the table. Jake nodded solemnly, and then they both bursted into laughter. They made their plates quickly, and spent a few minutes going back and forth with thanks.

"I'm thankful for having such a tall grandson! I could never have reached the seasonings without you." Jade exclaimed, waving a fork. Jake grinned.

"And I'm thankful to have a grandma who's as smart as a whip, but one of the kindest people I've met!" He parried, and she giggled.

"I'm… thankful for… nice grocery store clerks."

"I'm thankful for nice Starbucks baristas!"

"I'm thankful for good dreams!"

"I'm thankful for all this food that I hope we can eat soon..."

Jade snorted. "Of course, dear. Happy Thanksgiving."

Jake nodded as he heaped hearty portions of late lunch into his plate. "And to you as well, Grandma."

Jake ate until he felt fit to burst, and even then there was food left over. Maybe Jade was on to something- Jake felt like fasting until Christmas. Sluggishly, they packed everything into separate Tupperwares, and Jake postulated that they'd be having Thanksgiving dinner for a week, at least. Maybe they could organize something for the local homeless. Everyone deserved a little something during the holidays. He turned to Jade, question on the tip of his tongue, but she was leaving heavily against the counter, eyes drooping. She eyed him blearily, and he sighed with a smile.

"Looks like we're in for a nap, eh, Grandma?" Jake said as he half-carried her to the couch.

"Mm-hm. Dunno why I'm so tired… 'bably all that food…" She yawned. She snuggled into the blankets that Jake brought her, eyes falling shut. He was a bit sleepy as well. It would probably do him good to recharge. First, though, he smiled down at Jade. He really was thankful for his Grandma. He didn't know where he'd be without her. He didn't know what he'd do if she-

No. He kissed her on the forehead, and meandered up to his bedroom. Hopping into bed, he checked his phone out of habit. During school, Jade would text him, despite being a teacher herself. But she was here, and so nobody had any reason to text or call. He laid back on his pillows. Unless Dirk needed him, of course. But that was silly. Dirk would never call him. Dirk wouldn't care if Jake went and jumped off of the edge of the world. He let his eyes close, and he tried to slip off into sleep. A little _ding_ surprised him _._ Jake propped himself up on his elbows and grabbed his phone again, from the table where he charged it.

 **Unknown: happy thanksgiving**

 **Unknown: so what are you wearing, hot stuff?**

Jake stared down at the screen. What?

 _Jake: I think you may have gotten the wrong number, pal!_

 **Unknown: no mistake, you are jake english, right**

 **Unknown: its totally me dirk**

 **Unknown: and i would like to initiate the sexting**

 **Unknown: look at me bein all robotic and smart and shit**

Not sure how to respond, Jake's fingers hovered over his phone screen. Was Dirk messing with him? Was he just trying to see how much he could get on Jake's nerves before he snapped again? " _You're cute when you're angry."_

 _Jake: I'm quite sure that you are under some state of inebriation! I gave you my number for educational purposes!_

 _Jake: Plus, i was never made aware that our relationship was… quite that intimate!_

 **Unknown: wait. are you not dirk's boyfriend**

 **Unknown: i mean my boyfriend**

 **Unknown: shit this just got a whole lot less funny**

 **Unknown: nah its still hilarious**

 **Unknown: sorry to bother you jake. im sure youll get a bunch of confusing texts later.**

 **Unknown: ignore all of them**

The messages stopped coming, and Jake was all sorts of confused. Regardless, he set the number that texted him as **Dirk** in his contacts, determined to ask him about this later. He couldn't have whoever texting him whenever all willy-nilly! Despite how excited he got when he saw them. No one had ever texted him before, besides Jade. It was just a little exciting. Oh! Where were his manners?

 _Jake: happy thanksgiving, dirk!_


	4. Chapter 4

Jake loved his grandma. To pieces. But sometimes, a man needed a little time to himself. It was Saturday, their usual grocery day, but they had done all the shopping they needed for Thanksgiving and more during the week. And a week off from school was heaven for most kids.

But Jake wasn't like most kids. Something that Jade had taken to bothering him about.

It was just getting old. No one at school openly disliked him, but there was an air of "nerdiness" about him that kids his age tended to avoid. It wasn't like one made friends by simply walking up and asking! It took work, and Jake had enough on his plate, with Dirk, his grandma, and remaining the top student in the school. Jake knew how to handle himself.

"I'm heading out for a bit, Grandma!" he called. Jade echoed back an affirmative. She was in the basement cleaning her shotguns, and it had given Jake an idea. There was a small shooting range about half an hour from where he lived. It had been forever since he fired a gun, and it would take his mind off of things for a while. He hadn't gotten any more messages from Dirk, and he'd gotten all of his work finished. In short, he was bored out of his skull. Going out for a day before school started back up sounded perfect to the teen.

The range was a small little place, family owned, but neat. It was out of ways, and as he drove up he could see that the ranges were mostly housed indoors. He parked, and entered the building, into a little reception area. A darker woman, with stunning platinum-blonde hair, manned the desk, and she smiled at him.

"Hello! What are you in for?" she said, and her accent surprised him. It was quite like his own, but more… sophisticated.

"I'm a handgun man, miss. Pistols and whatnot. I'm familiar with this process, and I have my own set, er, and if you need my license..." He pulled out his paperwork and his two pistols from a bag that he brought, and she checked over both.

"Where are you from?" She asked idly, as she tapped out a few things on a computer. "Just asking, if you don't mind."

He fidgeted. "I don't rightly know, actually. My childhood's kind of… and I've been in the States for as long as I can remember!"

"Oh, no, sorry to be a bother! I-"

"Callie! Stop _chatting_ and get working!" A shorter man, head shaved, and looking ready to froth at the mouth rounded the corner. His accent wasn't as prominent as his… sister's? But, it was still present enough to make him sound sort of… villainous.

"Caliborn! Not so loud, or the customers might need to wear ear guards around you as well!" Callie tutted, and handed Jake's things back to him. "This is our range master. He can discuss rates and everything with you now that you're checked in."

Jake thanked her, and approached Caliborn warily. He sneered, and Jake thought he saw the glimmer of a gold tooth. He gestured for Jake to follow, and wound his way back to one of the handgun ranges. They stopped before the air-lock door, where a shelf of safety goggles and headphones laid.

"We keep these ranges hot, usually, so as soon as you gear up, get started. We charge by the hour." he said, no mention of actual prices to be heard. He left before Jake could get a word in edgewise. Good thing he was so frugal- he had quite a bit of money saved up. Enough to cover whatever that angry little man could throw at him.

He spent at least two hours shooting stationary targets. He would've liked to shoot clays, but this was an indoor range, and he wasn't as nearly as skilled as Jade when it came to rifles and the like. However, he did discover that he had a pretty impressive accuracy rate, managing to hit near-center even at the furthest allowable distance consistently. Finished, he looked around for instructions, but he saw none. Perhaps he should just go back to Callie and pay? She could also inform him of anything else he needed to do. Jake returned his safety wear and unloaded his pistols, returning to the reception area.

"Hello, Jake! Did you have fun?" Callie said when he entered. "Where's Caliborn?"

He shrugged, and pulled out his wallet. "He left as soon as he… explained things."

"I can't believe- he's supposed to stay with you! I apologize for my brother. Your total comes up to $78."

Not bad. Jake counted out the bills, and handed them over. "Thank you, Miss Callie! I'd been itching for a way to blow off steam for a while. And you've been wonderful!"

"Oh, it was our pleasure, darling! Take care." She blushed a little bit, and Jake smiled. His phone vibrated once in his pocket, and he thought that Jade might be wondering where he was. He stuffed everything back into his bag and pulled out his phone, having to do a double take. He had over a dozen unread messages.

 **Dirk: Oh my God.**

 **Dirk: English, delete all of the previous texts, please.**

 **Dirk: Reply if you've deleted them.**

 **Dirk: Jesus, Jake, do you live under a rock?**

 **Dirk: I thought you said you'd be available.**

 **Dirk: Please ignore the texts from Thursday, at any rate.**

 **Dirk: That was Dave.**

 **Dirk: Like I said.**

 **Dirk: Extreme asshole.**

 **Dirk: He found your number and assumed**

 **Dirk: well**

 **Dirk: Anyway, those texts do not reflect my views at all, and it was a poor attempt by my brother to make a** _ **joke**_ **.**

 **Dirk: Please answer.**

 **Dirk: Jake.**

 **Dirk: You're doing this on purpose.**

 **Dirk: Aren't you.**

 **Dirk: Is it because we're only allowed to talk about my failing education?**

 **Dirk: I thought you wanted to be friends.**

 **Dirk: Apparently not.**

 **Dirk: Fine.**

 **Dirk: See you Monday.**

 **Dirk: Delete this number.**

 **Dirk: And also fuck you.**

Jake paled at the wall of text. God damn it! He'd goofed again!

He must've been more vocal with his distress than he thought. "Are you alright?"

"Y-yeah. Just, uh, school… issues…" Jake said, pocketing his phone again. There was probably no right way to fix this by text. Callie raised her eyebrows.

"Well, you don't seem alright. You've been frazzled since you came in, and then you got more relaxed, but you're right back where you started! I have a friend who's a therapist, maybe I could help? I know some of her tactics. Well, she's not a friend, but she's my friend's mom, so-"

"Not that I don't appreciate the offer, I do, I just don't want to bother you!" Jake interjected. He was touched, though, by her willingness to help.

"Oh, I want to help. You seem very nice, Jake! Now, what's on your mind?" She looked left and right, probably checking for Caliborn.

He bit his lip, unsure of how to proceed. "Well, there's this guy…"

"Oh. Well, I mean, does he like you back?"

"Ah, no, it's not- I'm his tutor, but he refuses to cooperate with me. I feel like I'm trying to teach a fish how to fly, and he just texted me, and I think he wants to be friends, but he's so distant and stoic it's hard to tell." Jake flushed, but got through his explanation. Callie looked pensive.

"It sounds like he needs attention." She finally said. "Doesn't matter how he gets it. Good, bad, he just wants eyes on him."

"But he's so secretive!" Jake added, unsure.

"That's part of the allure. He can get attention, and have people attached to him, but never reciprocate. It's the makings of an unhealthy relationship. You need to get him to open up, and be more receptive to good attention."

"Why wouldn't he be receptive to good attention?" Jake asked. "I mean, you're right- he never took to me being friendly with him."

"He doesn't think he deserves it." Callie stated, then looked away. "Sorry. That might've been rude."

Jake stared at her. "S-so, what do I do?"

"Make him feel like he's worth something! Start small, though, because he won't be used to it. You have to get him acclimated to caring about himself, and letting other people do so. Good luck!" She hurriedly said, as Caliborn came into the room.

"You're still here?" He griped, and glared at Callie. "Whatever. Come again soon, or something."

Jake left, even more confounded than when he came. He wasn't quite ready to return home, so he drove back into town and into some sort of shopping district. Perhaps he could grab something for Jade while he was out. Had she already eaten lunch? Probably; it was nearly 3, and he hadn't eaten anything. He was starved. His first stop was the Starbucks, though he felt like sort of a ninny by himself. He almost stuttered talking to the barista. He got a pumpkin spice latte and one of their sandwiches to tide him over until dinner. Coffee in hand, he basically windows shopped until he found a little curio shop. Grandma would like something unique.

The shop was crowded with absolutely ancient looking wares, and he had to wind his way around towering shelves to get to the very back.

"Hey stranger! Welcome to Megido's Curios! Can I help you?" The shopkeeper said, flipping some of her extremely voluminous dark hair behind her shoulder. She wore a hat resembling that of Indiana Jones, and an old whip laid on the counter next to her. He shook his head mutely, intimidated by her bright smile. "Alright! Come back here if you need anything."

Jake quickly turned and picked a random aisle. _Jeepers_ , he felt like he was in a graveyard! Skulls stocked the shelves, and he marveled at them. He wondered if they were crafted, or legitimate. The thought gave him goosebumps. He wanted 20. For some reason, though, the girl at the counter unnerved him, and he didn't think he could bring himself to purchase anything from here. The whole place was just… sort of creepy. It felt haunted.

Jake ended up leaving without merchandise, and he felt kind of bad about it. Jade probably missed him, though. It had been a while. He drove home, and he was shocked to find that the sun was already setting. Grandma had been alone all day? What had she been doing all this time? He got home quickly, and as he walked in, he could smell dinner cooking. The house also smelled faintly of cleaning product and air freshener.

"Grandma, I'm home!" He called, and he heard a clamor rise from the kitchen.

"Jake, dear! Did you have a good day? I went ahead and started cooking, and I tidied up! Seems like I can be very productive when I don't have a grandson to dote on." Jake rolled his eyes and followed the sound of her voice, to the kitchen. Something was boiling, and Jade dicing tomatoes. He eyed a pan on the stove- hamburger meat.

"Spaghetti?" Jake asked, and she hummed.

oOo

Monday was upon him before he knew it. He realized that he had never texted Dirk an apology, and realized how his silence might be taken. Oh dear. Mr. Zahaak wasn't at his desk. Instead, a sub stood in front of it, and Jake fleetingly wondered if his teacher was alright as he went to his seat. Then, Dirk walked through the door. He watched him sit down, but Dirk completely ignored him, wouldn't even glance in his direction. The sub gave him grief about the glasses, but he rattled off an explanation that was all Greek to Jake. Something about a medical condition. The color of his eyes? The sub let him be, though, and then they were working silently from the book. Maybe he could…?

 _Jake: Hello dirk! would you perhaps like to partake in a conciliatory conversation with yours truly?_

 _Jake: Dirk, come on. i know you aren't working, i can see you on your phone._

 _Jake: *Dirk!*_

Well, he tried. He got the same treatment in Mr. Captor's class, though it was awfully awkward being given the cold shoulder by someone directly to your right. He attempted to not let it deter him, and was almost looking forward to being one-on-one with Dirk. He needed to work this mess out, and make a game plan that would help Dirk in the long run.

The blonde edged through the door. His mouth was twisted into a frown. "I thought I told you to delete my number."

"Well, I know, but-" Jake said, trying to remain jovial. Dirk was in front of him in seconds.

"I said to delete my fucking number, English. And you accuse me of bein' a _bad listener_." He spat, and took another step forward. Jake stepped back. The back of his neck prickled.

"Well. I- I would like to be able to contact you-" Jake stammered, and Dirk kept following him as he moved backwards. He felt like he was being hunted.

"Here's a tip. Don't." Dirk's voice was monotone. Jake's back hit the wall. Oh, God. Jake didn't know what to do. What was _Dirk_ going to do?

"Please, I just want to talk…" Jake breathed, and Dirk's hand slammed against the wall next to his head.

"We're done talking."

"Please, oh God, I'm sorry! Stop, please, just stop, let me go!" Jake finally cried, and Dirk froze. They were very close, and Jake felt rather than saw him shudder. Jake was breathing fast and hard, body in panic mode. Dirk pulled away. Jake could see him shaking, almost violently. Then, he was gone. Jake could've sworn he saw a tear. Without a second thought, he followed.

"Dirk! Wait, I'm alright!" His sneakers skidded in the hall as he tore after his pupil. He heard the doors to the parking lot open, and he ran to them as well. Pulling on the doors, he winced at the sunlight. Dirk was against a wall to the left, smoking a cigarette. Jake let his heart slow down back to normal.

"Dirk!" He said as he walked over. "Still giving me the silent treatment?"

He got no response. "Th-that's okay! Hoo-boy, I sure am winded."

After a few more one-liners with not even a glance from Dirk, he finally just sagged against the wall next to him. Jake let it be silent for a moment, and watched the smoke unfurl from Dirk's mouth.

"You know. I don't like you." Jake admitted, and Dirk finally turned to him. "I… I can't understand you at all!"

"Is that so." Dirk muttered, extinguishing his cigarette. He seemed interested. Now that Jake was being honest. _The truth hurts sometimes. Renovation_.

"I understand physics. I get English. I can do Calculus. But people… nothing. I'm useless when it comes to stuff like that."

"I can tell." Dirk was beginning to smile.

Jake snorted. "Yeah, well, I _want_ to understand. I want to help you. You have to let me help you, Dirk. Maybe we can learn how to care, if we help each other. Get it?"

"Jake… bad things happen when people care. Sometimes it's best to let things be." Dirk replied, and he leaned farther back on the wall.

"I'm not going to stop trying."

"...I know. Please, don't give up." Dirk whispered, and then Jake was pressed back against the wall again. Dirk's hands caged him in on either side of his head. And then, they were kissing. Jake didn't move. Jake _couldn't_ move, he'd never been kissed before! What was he supposed to do?! Luckily for him, it was just a peck, and Dirk pulled away with a frustrated sigh. From this angle, Jake could actually see Dirk's eyes, and they bored into him. Seemed to burn him. Dirk pushed off the wall, shoved his hands into his pockets, and stalked off, leaving Jake jelly-legged and befuddled. He shakily pulled out his phone. Speed dialed.

"Grandma? Th-the, uh, lesson, ended early today. We can j-just leave." He hoped Jade didn't notice how stupid and breathless he sounded.

"I know! I'm up in my classroom and your stuff is here, but you aren't. Are you okay? Where's Dirk?" Jade asked, and he could hear her gathering their stuff. "Dirk's bag is up here, too."

At the mention of Dirk, his lips tingled. Oh, Jiminy Christmas. "I can give it to him tomorrow, just bring it."

"Okay. Are you sure nothing happened?" Jade sounded skeptical. If he told her, she'd never let him live it down. But he'd always been honest with her.

"Uh. Well, Dirk and I fought, and he ran outside, and I followed him, and… he… he kissed me." Jake nearly whispered into the receiver. Jade squealed, and he had to pull the phone away from his ear.

"Oh, Jakey! I knew there was something about that kid, and I'm never wrong! Are you two dating? When can I meet him? He's not in any of my classes- good thing I cleaned out my shotgun!" she exclaimed, and he could tell that she was walking down the hall now.

"I'm in the student parking lot." He said, trying to deter her wild imagination. It wasn't like that. It was just a kiss! Dirk didn't want… did he?

"Alright, I'll be right there. Ooh, is Dirk-?"

"No. Um, he left." Jake said, watching the doors. Jade popped out, and he hung up. She was smiling brightly, stuff on her back and on either of her arms. He rushed to help her.

"Aw, baby, you look all flushed. You are so cute!" she gushed as they walked to the car. "Last year you wouldn't even _talk_ to another kid, let alone be kissed! This is an important milestone. We should get ice cream."

"Grandma, it's not that big of a deal." Jake muttered, opening her door for her.

"It is for _you_ , darling." Jade reminded him, and he scowled. But she did have a point. What did this mean for him and Dirk?

Did he… _like_ Dirk that way? He could ask him tomorrow.

oOo

Dirk was already in class when Jake arrived. Perfect, okay, he could deal with this. He walked up to his desk. Tried to lean on it casually. And slipped. Dirk tried to stifle a chuckle.

"What's up, Casanova?" He asked, trying to keep a straight face. Jake grimaced.

"I just… wanted to know where we stood, you know?" Jake asked quietly, and Dirk looked away, smile slipping.

"I dunno, Jake. That was… like a heat of the moment thing. An accident."

Jake tried not to look like a kicked puppy. He didn't know why he was so disappointed. "Ah, I see. Don't… don't sweat it, then."

Dirk grumbled something under his breath. "I mean, you're really nice, Jake. But I'm… not. So, we, uh… well, just give it a while, okay?"

Just give it a while. That wasn't a no, was it? Jake nodded, and sat in his own desk. Regardless, tutoring him would be a whole new level of hell.

oOo

The rest of the week went alright, Dirk was bearable. Jake wondered if he was being nice because he wanted to… to… _date him?_ Jake wasn't sure if he could even handle a relationship- he wasn't a people person at all, but for Dirk… he could try. With that thought in mind, he nearly skipped to Jade's classroom, ready to at least tell Dirk that he was interested. He sat in his desk, Dirk's opposite his, as usual, for a few minutes. A few turned into five, and then, into ten. He was getting impatient. Finally, Jake just decided to see if he could find Dirk, figuring that they'd bump into each other eventually. He was in class today, so he knew that Dirk was somewhere.

M. East only had one floor, which made things much easier. He only had to go up and down a few halls to find Dirk. Only, he wasn't alone.

"C'mon, chief, there are… _better_ things to do than go to that tutorin' of yours." Cronus Ampora, the school flirt, was whispering in Dirk's ear. Dirk was smirking, and playing with the hair at the back of Cronus's neck. Jake felt like he was invading their privacy, but he could look away. It was like watching a car crash. Morbidly fascinating, but terrifying… and heartbreaking.

"Yeah, Cro. I'm sure there are." Dirk said, and he tilted his head to the side and Cronus nosed down his neck. "But the, _ah_ , tutoring, is kind of the only reason I still go here. And since I'm the only one here willing to fuck you, I'd suggest we save the fun things for later."

Jake finally spun away, rushing back to the classroom as fast as he could. He was so _stupid_! What would someone like Dirk see in a dingus like him? He didn't even notice when he started crying. God, why did he ever get so invested in that prick? He sat in his desk, fuming, until the door opened. Jake couldn't help but notice that Dirk's hair was quite ruffled, and he seemed flustered. _Dammit_.

"You're late." Jake said curtly, pulling out one of his note sets. "We're going over a few grammar rules today, just to make sure you've got them down."

"Hey, just because I'm Texan, babe, don't mean I ain't got good grammar." Dirk joked, sliding into his desk. Jake didn't smile.

"Alright, _just to make sure_ \- what is the difference between a colon and a semi-colon?"

Dirk scoffed. "Grammar is arbitrary, regardless. A colon is for a list, and a semi-colon separates two complete sentences."

Jake shook his head. "All of the parts to correctly format a sentence."

"Have you seen any linking verbs around here? Because you are my complement and I want to connect." Dirk said instead, leaning forward on his desk. "I am your subject. Will you be my predicate?"

Jake couldn't believe that Dirk was trying to flirt with him, after… "Dirk, stop that. At this rate, you aren't going to learn anything!"

"Yeah. So?" He asked, nonplussed. "I'm smarter than you give me credit for, hon. I'm just lazy."

"Oh, my God. Can we just be professional, please?"

"Or what. You'll tell on me?" The blonde smirked. "Besides, I know you like it."

"No, I most certainly do not! The way you operate is like you believe everyone around you is an object! The world doesn't exist to serve you, Strider!"

Dirk frowned. He seemed genuinely unsettled by Jake's words. "Then give up."

"Maybe I will!" Jake finally said, and Dirk looked shocked. Jake stood, and stormed out. Good riddance. He walked a few halls over, away from Dirk, and paced a bit.

"God, I'm such an idiot." He groaned, rubbing his temples. "Honestly, to ever believe I had a chance at _any_ sort of relationship with that douchebag…"

"You doing okay out here?" Jake jumped as another person tapped him on the shoulder. "Oh, jeez, didn't mean to scare you, buddy!"

Jake turned. "The cooking class can hear you, and uh, they sent me out to check. Heh. I'm, uh, Jane Egbert. Hi."

"Jake English." He said, and held out his hand. She took it. Her hands were very soft. Jake realized that he'd just been holding it, and hastily shook it, letting go. She giggled, and he thought it was one of the cutest things he'd ever seen. "S-sorry about that, I, am, having trouble with a… friend of mine. He's just kind of insufferable."

Jane tilted her head. Her eyes were bright blue, and she had red-rimmed glasses that really brought them out. "What's up with him?"

"He's just doing poorly in school, and it frustrates me." Jake sighed, and Jane put a hand on his shoulder. It felt warm.

"I have a friend like that. She had some issues, back in freshman year, and even in middle school, but I whipped her into shape. She's fine now- even in NHS. She's really smart." Jane told him. He noticed that she was wearing an apron over a really cute polka-dot dress.

"Er, well, how did you do it?" Jake asked, looking pointedly across the hall. He wasn't going to creep on a stranger he just met!

"I just kept at it! She was really angry, and pushed me away lots of times. But sometimes when they say go, they mean stay. People with issues like my friend tend to behave certain ways in response to what they're going through, it ain't their fault. Just stay determined!"

"Thanks. Say, Jane-"

"Would you like my number? Just, in case, you know." Was she blushing? He was just about to ask her that! Had he made another friend? Jake pulled out his phone, and Jane grinned. She had a really nice smile, too.

"I really like your accent." She said as they typed in each other's numbers.

"Heh, well, I like yours!" He said back, and she laughed.

"Don't be a stranger, Jake! I gotta get back to my club before they set something on fire." Jane started to walk to the class kitchens, where he knew cooking class was held.

"Right back at you, mate!" He called and waved. He'd really done it. Made another friend. Jade would be ecstatic. Although, he should, also tell her about his and Dirk's falling out. Oh, shit. Dirk. He checked his watch. Their allotted time was up. He'd missed the whole lesson! He ran back to the classroom- Dirk was gone. Oh dear. Jade came in soon after.

"Hey, bucko! How'd it go?" She asked, going around to her desk. He wondered where she hung out while he was in here with Dirk.

Jake pursed his lips. "I saw Dirk in the halls with another guy. It's… uh, not gonna work out, Grandma." Jade looked angrier than he'd thought she'd be, and he quickly changed the subject. "But I did meet a really nice girl, Jane Egbert! She's in the cooking club. We're friends, I think."

Jade still looked mildly upset, but she nodded. "That's good, at least. Do you.. are you okay, though?"

Jake looked at her, and shrugged. "I mean, Dirk said the kiss was kind of an accident. So I don't think we were quite meant to be. Let's just go home, okay Grandma?"


End file.
